I See Fire
by M155 C0nfu510n
Summary: In a world ruled by darkness, those of the light must fight to protect what they believe in, must fight for their very existence. But the darkness is growing and the King is dimming, hope seems useless. A lone spirit grows in power until he must realize his destiny as both the prince to his people and the savior of their unbalanced world.
1. Prologue

Here is the first installment of my first multichaptered fic that I will be working on when I can! Based loosely around the song I See Fire by Ed Sheeran (A beautiful song really) with my own crazy world of spirits and shadows and ignorant humans thrown in for fun.

I own nothing but the idea, so ya know, enjoy or whatevs~

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The darkness crept silently along the grounds, screams echoing from the mountain village as its people raced towards higher elevation; closer to the light. One such person, the queen to be exact, was running on a more secluded path of the mountain. Her hair waved behind her like trailing starlight and her skin glowed with a heavenly shine, her eyes- which usually shone with the warmth of a campfire- glowed with unparalleled fear. The queen stumbled upon an overgrown root as she dove further into the surrounding forest, her eyes suddenly flicking to the smaller figure attached to her right hand.

Her son, only a few hundred years old, had been the reason for Aizen's bold attack. Ichigo was the heir to the throne and, as such, Aizen's only enemy after King Isshin. The lord of the dark was not against the murder of an innocent child if it meant he could spread the plague of his darkness to the farthest recesses of the world, but he underestimated them.

The spirits of the light were strong, glowing bright in the darkness that permeated their world and warding off the dangers that lurked in the shadows. Masaki was proud to say she had defended her son from the initial attack all her own, coming out of the scrimmish with nothing more than a shallow cut on her cheek. Already it had stopped leaking trails of light and instead glowed dimly.

"Mommy! What's going on?" Masaki wanted to cry at the question, instead focusing on the winding path before them and the echoing screams from behind.

"Some bad people are trying to hurt us, so we're going somewhere safe." Masaki tightened her fingers around her son's hand- so small and fragile- and pulled him a bit faster along the path.

Masaki heard the tired pants of her child and quickly stopped to pull him into her arms, taking to the woods again at a faster pace. Ichigo's head was pressed safely into her neck, a hand holding it there so he might avoid seeing the darkness that no doubt followed their every step. She felt the wind howl in her ears, bringing with it news of the others' conditions and whereabouts, and twist the air around her into a protective cocoon.

She didn't have to wait long before a spike of pure shadows drove through the barrier, the wind howling in her ears as it began to twist in a chaotic array. Masaki almost felt tears fall over her cheeks as the wind shot into the sky and its haunting echoes continued to rock the surrounding trees in their roots. The queen felt her breath pick up as a sudden chill invaded the forest, her light swarming to the surface and enveloping Ichigo in its protective glow.

"Hand over the boy and I might just let you live." Masaki glared at the figure cloaked in sentient shadows, traces of hands visible among the dark trails before they became wandering tendrils that joined with the larger swirl dancing at Aizen's feet.

"Over my dead body." Masaki continued to feed light into the barrier surrounding her son, the boy now clinging to the fabric of her skirt as she pressed him into her hip.

She had never wanted her son to witness the horrors of Aizen's rule, the atrocities he'd committed just to bring his darkness to the light. It made her stomach churn, some of the effects of his manic pillagings, already they had lost one of the stronger nature spirits- a newly-wed at that. He killed without mercy and had his darkness absorb whatever light was in his path.

Masaki and Ichigo were currently in that path.

The smile on Aizen's face caused Masaki's light to flicker just so, her hands pressed Ichigo further behind the shield that was her body. "With pleasure."

Masaki's eyes widened at the wave of shadows that rose up behind Aizen, the few stars that dotted the sky blocked by the surge of darkness. Masaki didn't hesitate to grab the her child and race back into the underbrush, her light still surrounding Ichigo's quivering form.

The two didn't make it far before they were cut off by a wall of shadows, Ichigo whimpering from her side before she led them in another direction. They ran for she didn't know how long before they reached a jagged cliff that overlooked the valley that ran alongside the mountain, Masaki's every breath causing a stab of pain in her chest.

Chancing a glance at her son, Masaki wasn't surprised to see him in a similar state, crouching before him and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. The light surrounding him turned to whisps where her hand touched him.

"Ichigo. Mommy's going to do something so save you, okay? You need to stay low." Masaki felt tears brush her eyes as Ichigo tilted his head in confusion, pulling him into her and squeezing him tightly. "I love you so much."

"Mommy?"

Masaki held Ichigo close as she pulled every bit of light in her body to the surface, the glow moving to encompass the whole of the cliff and a bit of the surrounding forest before rushing back into her body. Masaki gasped at the buildup of energy suddenly coursing through her veins, gritting her teeth as she focused it at a single point above them. She heard Ichigo gasp at the strong burst of wind that came with the release of her power.

Their hair whipped around their heads slowly, Masaki carefully pulling away from her son with a smile. "I will see you soon."

Masaki's hands slid from Ichigo's shoulders to his hands, holding them gently as the wind began to surge upwards. She was brought to her feet against her will, continuing upwards until her feet left the ground and even higher then. Ichigo's hands were squeezing hers tightly, tears pricking his eyes as he shouted something she couldn't hear.

She could do nothing as she rose higher, Ichigo's fingers slipping from hers until he dropped onto the cliffside with a mute cry. Masaki felt tears fall from her eyes, the drops glittering in the tube of light before dissipating altogether.

The queen took one more lingering look at her son, his face contorted in pain as he reached for her helplessly, before turning her eyes on the sky. A glow started to seep into her warm, hazel eyes, moving to encompass her whole body as she flew high into the sky. The darkness was daunting outside her funnel of light, her glowing features hardening as she curled into herself.

"Breathe…." Masaki spoke softly into the skin of her knees, pulling her light closer until it formed a glowing sphere around her body. Her eyes peeked from the fold of her arms, watching the hypnotizing swirl of light glow brighter with each passing second. A shaky breath fell from her lips as she pushed more of herself into the sphere, her shoulders dissolving into light particles. Her arms continued to slide away from her in small balls of light, eyes watching in fixation as she disappeared bit by bit. "Breathe…."

She didn't feel the way her body drifted away to join the embodiment of her spirit, only a strange weightlessness as she watched the stars twinkle above her. She offered them a sad smile, hoping they would be able to appease Isshin when he learned of her sacrifice for their people, the twinkling responding in kind.

An airy breath passed through her lips as she closed her eyes, smile relaxed as she was greeted with glowing lights instead of darkness. She could only hope Ichigo would never have to a make a sacrifice of this magnitude when he grew older, her last thought as she released herself to the buildup of light.

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The sudden brightness that assaulted the land caused many to cover their eyes in shock, cries of happiness and confusion ringing through a gathering of spirits in a clearing near the mountain's peak. Only a few knew the reason for a light of that magnitude, sending their king sympathetic glances as he fell to the dew-covered grass with a heart-broken cry.

On a cliff overlooking the rising sun, a smaller figure let out his own cry in despair, the shadows that had wrapped around his ankles and yanked him into the forest hissing in pain as the light threatened to disintegrate their bodies.

Ichigo shouted as he was dragged roughly through the underbrush, his arms swinging at invisible entities as he was cut by various branches and roots. The orange haired child cried out as his head connected painfully with a large tree, his eyes sliding shut as the shadows dragged him to the edge of a small clearing. The dark tendrils twined into a large swirling mass before slinking towards the figure standing in the center of the clearing, his face turned towards the light from above.

Aizen sneered at the sphere of pure light, turning away from the irritating brightness to regard his hissing shadows with distaste. "It seems we won't be able to do much with this _light_ here." The shadows curled around his feet before soaking into his skin, darkening the flesh to a dull charcoal.

Aizen hummed as the shadows crawled further up his body until they reached his neck, twining into a complex spiral that touched the base of each ear in a sharp spike. The shadow-drenched man turned his attention to the unconscious figure lying half-concealed in the shade of a tree, his lower half bathed in sunlight. Aizen smirked at the sight of blood sliding down the child's forehead, chuckling to himself as he took slow, deliberate steps towards Ichigo's unconscious form.

"It seems all is not yet lost." Aizen's advance was halted by a sudden roar that rocked the surrounding forest, his eyes widening before narrowing as they darted around the clearing. He froze as he caught a flash of purple moving among the trees, snarling as he took a cautious step away from the child.

"You can have him now, but I _will_ be back." Aizen gave another resounding snarl at the responding roar, willing the shadows to cover him fully. All was silent as the brunet was bathed in sentient shadow, sinking into the ground without a sound and leaving no trace.

A slow growl rose from the forest as a sleek panther entered the clearing, purple fur slowly sliding away and giving rise to dark skin covered by a bear pelt, the trailing, purple ponytail waving gently in the nonexistent wind. Cat-like eyes continued to glow with a hidden power as the woman approached the unconscious figure stretched beneath a tree. A sad smile pulled at her lips as she knelt beside the child, a gentle hand reaching out to brush his hair from his forehead.

"Isshin is quite distraught. You are asking much of a man that has already lost more than his fair share." Yoruichi just continued to stroke Ichigo's cheeks gently, wiping away the blood that trailed behind his ear and into his lax hair.

"Isshin would keep him locked away on a pedestal instead of training him, lest he become his mother. This is for the best." Yoruichi knew she won the argument when her husband sighed behind her, a hand being placed on her shoulder and squeezing gently. Glancing from the hand to the man it was attached to, Yoruichi gave Kisuke a small smile. "It's fine. I'm fine. He'll be fine."

Yoruichi didn't know whether she was talking about Isshin or Ichigo, but was thankful when Kisuke gave her a sad smile before turning his attention to the unconscious child before them.

"Come on. He needs medical attention."

Yoruichi nodded before picking up the small child, unable to stop herself from smiling at his lax features. Turning away from her charge, Yoruichi sent Kisuke a determined nod, the blond leading them back into the forest.

Yoruichi could only hope she would be half the mother Masaki was.

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I think I did well, but I honestly won't know without some feedback~~ And I'm still trying to hash out some ideas and re-edit some of the other chapters I already have typed up so just expect a bit before the next update! Thank you and goodnight!


	2. I See Strangers

**Please read because this is bolded and I don't bold chizz!**

Okay, I didn't mention this because I forgot and I just now realized it's kinda important so people don't see stuff they don't like, but this _will be_ _GrimmIchi_ in the waaaaaayyy later future! So it's not coming any time soon and I don't want to make that a main focal point of the story so it's not an issue now, but if that offends you then run...run away fast and never look back~

 **Regularly scheduled Author's note below~~**

You guys would not believe how hard it was for me to re-edit this chapter~ I did it like three times because I couldn't decide if I liked this _one_ scene enough and then I was finally like 'screw it' and did my own thing. Figures I'd like that better than everything I had ever planned...Anyway we get a little bit of info, some angsty junk, and I think that's it~ :3 Enjoy and don't forget to review!

Again, I own nada~~

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Ichigo groaned as he pressed his face further into the leafy pillow, eyes squeezed shut against the strange light that shined through the window nearby.

"Ichigo. Time to wake up." The orange haired child whined pitifully as he squinted his eyes open. It didn't take long to find the strange figure seated beside him, her purple hair loose and framing her face in long waves. She smiled sweetly, gold eyes standing out against her dark skin, "How are you feeling?"

"Head hurts…." Ichigo pouted as he pushed himself up and allowed his eyes to rove over the unfamiliar surroundings. The room seemed too large for someone his size, but that could've just been the dizziness. There was a window to the right of his bed that glowed brightly from some large, glowing orb in the sky. Glancing past the purple haired woman, Ichigo saw a fireplace on the far wall with a door beside it. His face scrunched up as he looked at the strange woman with distrust, "Where am I? Where's mommy?"

Ichigo felt a pain flare in his head as he tried to recall the events from the night before. He could vaguely remember flashing lights, dancing shadows, and pain, lots and lots of pain. The orange haired child curled into himself with a whimper, hands clenched in the fabric of his leather pants as tears fell from his eyes.

"Ichigo." Ichigo ignored the questioning voice as he dug further into his memories from the night before. He grit his teeth as he came upon a blank patch, right after he and his mother reached the cliffside. "Ichigo, look at me."

The child cautiously raised his head enough to stare at the woman with watery eyes, almost surprised to see a smile on her lips, "I have some medicines that can help your head, but you must eat before you take them."

Ichigo nearly blushed as his stomach grumbled at the mention of food, slowly unfurling his limbs and wiping the tears from his eyes in embarrassment. He wanted to glare at the woman for chuckling at his uncontrollable bodily functions, but pushed the thought away as she held out a shirt made of some material he had never seen before. Ichigo took it slowly, slipping it on before following the woman from the room and into a small hallway lined with windows.

"My name is Yoruichi." Ichigo glanced up at the woman from the vantage point of her hip, almost scowling at her height before remembering he would grow as he got older. The oranget quickly nodded once he realized she was waiting for some type of response, narrowing his eyes petulantly as she gave him a small smile.

Who was _she_ to treat _him_ like a child? He was a strong 253 year old and proud of it!

Puffing out his cheeks unconsciously, Ichigo continued to followed Yoruichi with his head held high, swinging his arms with every step. He didn't notice the way Yoruichi chuckled at his antics as they entered an area that acted as a living room, kitchen, and dining room.

Carved furniture dotted the large area, the table and chairs a type of aged oak that seemed to soak in the light that filtered through one of the many windows that lined the walls. A rocking chair, long bench, and arm chair were circled around a roaring fireplace to his left, a large, bearskin rug in the center of the floor. The cabinets in the kitchen were made of a light colored wood that reflected the light that filtered through the windows.

Ichigo couldn't stop his eyes from roving over his new surroundings, unconsciously grabbing the edge of the robe covering Yoruichi's form as she led them towards the table. He missed the way her smile seemed to make her eyes crinkle slightly at the edges.

"Morning, sleepyhead~" Ichigo snapped his head towards the new voice, quickly slipping behind Yoruichi's legs and peeking at the strange man that chuckled from the open doorway.

He had shaggy, blond hair that fell to his shoulders in choppy layers, a strange, leafy hat set upon his head. He wore a vest made of some material he'd never seen before that had white and green stripes, a pair of pants in the same strange design. A pair of wooden shoes adorned his feet.

"I hope you're hungry!" Ichigo narrowed his eyes as the strange man stepped further into the room, finally taking notice of the basket held in the crook of his elbow. Yoruichi's deep chuckle had Ichigo turning his attention to the woman with questioning eyes, one of her hands moving to run soothingly through his hair.

"Ichigo, this is my husband, Kisuke. " Ichigo only clenched his hands further into her robe, careful to stay as close to her side as possible.

"Good to see you too." Ichigo didn't fight the hand that gently led him in the direction of the nearest chair, Yoruichi pulling it out so he could slide into it with ease. She took the seat to his left, a secretive smile on her lips as she watched her husband approach and set the basket on the tabletop. "I didn't know what you ate, so I got a little of everything."

Ichigo kept his expression guarded as the blond pulled fruits and edible roots from the basket, spreading them across the tabletop before taking the seat across from him and to Yoruichi's left. "Help yourself! The sooner you eat, the sooner we can give you that medication."

Ichigo wanted so badly to hold out against the tempting strawberries only a couple inches from his hands, but found himself giving in after only a few moments of prompting from the two adults. The orange haired child kept his head down as he gorged himself on sweet berries and strange roots, licking the juices from his fingers when he had his fill before looking at the silent figures surrounding him. He felt a blush color his cheeks as he caught both their eyes, ducking his head quickly.

"Would you like that medicine now?" Ichigo nodded mutely, aware of the rough slide of the chair against the floor as Kisuke went to retrieve the medication from somewhere in the kitchen.

"Ichigo." The orange haired child looked away from his twining fingers towards Yoruichi. She gave him another secretive smile, chewing absently on a blueberry, before speaking, "I can answer any questions you have, if you'd like?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to speak before snapping it shut, humming to himself as he thought of what he wanted to know first. His eyes flashed unknowingly as he connected gazes with Yoruichi, the oranget brushing off her shocked expression as a reaction from Kisuke suddenly appearing at the table again.

"Where are we?" That had been bugging him since he woke up, Ichigo squirming in his seat as he watched Yoruichi ponder the question.

"You're in mine and Kisuke's home. We live farther down the mountain than most of the other spirits because of our respective elements."

Ichigo nodded to himself at the explanation, eyes again roving over the small home as he tried to gauge just how far down the mountain they were. He snapped to attention however at the mention of their spiritual powers, tilting his head as he tried to imagine what elements these two figures could embody.

Yoruichi's form was dark and exotic and her eyes had caused Ichigo to feel like he was being dissected on more than one occasion that day. He also noticed the way she moved with a certain grace, every step she made leading into another without any unnecessary movement. He could only guess her spiritual powers were animal based, possibly feline in nature.

Kisuke was a mystery, though Ichigo could feel the power that seemed to flow out of the man's every pore. Hazel eyes narrowed in thought, Ichigo's cheeks puffed out as he thought on the mystery man's possible spiritual power.

"Take this, Ichigo-kun~" Ichigo warily eyed the stone cup that was pushed in front of him, cautiously sniffing at the steaming, green liquid.

"What is it?" Ichigo poked at the top of the liquid with his pointer finger, watching as a trail rose with his finger before snapping back into the cup. He stuck out his tongue in distaste.

"A simple concoction made from a few roots and berries with a bit of mint and tree sap for flavor." Ichigo took one more cautious sniff at the strange liquid before downing the cup in one gulp.

It was strangely soothing for something with the consistency of jellied fruits, and caused a sudden warmth to bloom in Ichigo's chest. The child found himself smiling at the calming effect, leaning back in his chair as he relaxed.

"Is your head better?"

"Mm." Ichigo yawned in his seat, rubbing pitifully at his eyes as he tried to bring his focus back to the two adults giving him weird smiles.

It seemed like smiles were the only thing they could do with their mouths.

"We have a couple questions for you if that's alright?" Ichigo blinked at Kisuke, almost thrown off by the way his voice had gone from a lyrical tenor to a soft soprano.

"Yeah…."

"Do you remember anything that happened before you were knocked out?"

Ichigo frowned as he thought back on last night's situation, eyes clenched shut as he recalled a bright light and weird, dark things grabbing at his ankles.

"Lights and…" Ichigo puffed his cheeks out as he fought for something he had forgotten. Something really, _really_ important. "Somebody was there with me…"

"Do you remember who?" Ichigo glanced at Yoruichi in confusion. She sounded almost knowing, a strange glint in her golden eyes as she watched for his reaction.

Ichigo shook his head slowly, his cheeks puffing unconsciously as he frowned at the whole situation. He could barely remember anything that happened after he hurt his head and he knew he was forgetting a lot of stuff.

"Where are my parents?" That he could somewhat remember. He could recall catching sight of his father fighting off weird, shadow figures as he raced with his mother through a path hidden by a thicket of trees and his mother doing something on the cliffside- she did something important. Ichigo chanced a glance at the large, glowing sphere he could see floating in the sky outside, wondering if she was somehow connected with the bright orb.

By the time he returned his attention to the adults before him, they had lost their ever-present smiles and instead donned deep frowns and somber eyes. Yoruichi's expression surprised him most, her eyes glowing dangerously as her pupils seemed to elongate sporadically.

"Your….your father is currently working to restore the village to its former glory." Ichigo wasn't surprised to hear Kisuke speak as Yoruichi didn't look capable of words, though his morose tone caused an uneasy feeling to swell in Ichigo's gut. The orange haired child picked at a loose fabric in his shorts as the man continued. "Your mother-"

Ichigo jumped as a chair crashed to the floor, his eyes widened as he watched Yoruichi turn and stalk from the room. He winced as he heard a door slam.

"I'm sorry for her," Ichigo watched Kisuke take his hat from his head before running a hand through his hair. The blond set both elbows on the table before placing his head in his upturned hands. Gray eyes connected with hazel, "Things have been…. _rough_ lately."

"Why's she mad?" Ichigo could somewhat piece together the reason for her anger, but not the entire story. Yoruichi had, so far, shown herself to be level-headed and gentle, and she only reacted badly when his mother was mentioned, so he guessed they might have been friends at some point. The orange haired child closed his eyes as he tried to remember if he had ever seen the woman before that morning and came up short.

"She was very close to your mother and took her loss quite hard." At the mention of his mother, Ichigo felt a pang in his own chest. Sure, he had thought on the fact that his father was busy doing village things and his mother was nowhere to be seen, but for him to be hit with the full realization of the fact was heartbreaking.

His mother was his rock, his everything. His father was always busy with village work, but made time for Ichigo when he could. His mother on the other hand, she was a constant like the stars in the sky. Ichigo pushed down the tears that wanted to fall, keeping his eyes trained on the table as he fought for some control over his emotions.

"I'm going to talk to her, would you like to help a poor, underprepared husband appease his fuming wife?" Ichigo cautiously lifted his eyes from the table, pushing the last of his grief into a far corner of his mind for a later time as he ran the words over in his head. He barely understood what half of them meant, but nodded anyway.

Kisuke helped Ichigo to the floor before leading him down the hallway from earlier, expression somber as they reached the door at the end. Ichigo placed a hand against the door, feeling the roughness of the wood on his fingertips as Kisuke knocked gently.

"Yoruichi? We're coming in, alright?" Ichigo didn't hear anything that said it was okay for them to go in, but Kisuke pushed the door open anyway.

Darkness was the first thing he noticed, the light spirit jumping as a sudden clarity permeated the room. Hazel eyes were wide as they roved over the minimalistically designed room. There was a small rug in the middle of the floor, a bed pushed into the far corner next to a bedside table with two cups and a flower of some sort resting on it. A shuffling of the comforter brought his attention to the bump in the sheets, a gap in the material giving the perfect view of a single, golden eye.

Ichigo shivered.

Kisuke gently eased past him and stalked towards his wife, crouching next to the bed and resting a hand on her blanket clad shoulder. "Hey, Yoruichi. Wanna come out of there for a sec?"

Ichigo eased further into the room before stopping next to the blond. He pouted as he realized he would have to stand on his tiptoes to see over the bed.

"Ichigo's pretty curious about why you stormed out. It's okay to be angry, but I think he deserves some answers. Don't you?" Ichigo spared the blond a glance before pulling himself further over the edge of the bed, toes barely scraping the floorboards. Hazel eyes connected with gold, a strange intensity in the slitted pupils that caused Ichigo's cheeks to flush. He nearly slipped as his grip on the blankets was lost, a hand on the back of his shirt stopping him from connecting painfully with the floor.

He was suddenly lifted onto the bed, head pressed onto a surprisingly soft pillow as fingers threaded through his hair. Blinking at the eyes so close to his own, Ichigo couldn't stop himself from comparing them to the glowing orb in the sky in intensity. Arms were suddenly wrapping around his shoulders and back, pulling him into the cocoon of blankets and smothering his face in the fur of Yoruichi's pelt.

"You're so bright…." Ichigo was just able to turn his head enough to feel the cool, wetness of tears against his cheek, deciding to keep quiet as Yoruichi continued to pet his hair. "So, so, _so_ bright."

Ichigo found himself speaking without thinking, saying the first thing that came to mind, "Your eyes are brighter, like the glowy ball in the sky."

Ichigo nearly squeaked as he felt his breath leave his lungs in a violent wave, Yoruichi's arms tightening to the point of causing pain as she released a shaky breath into his hair. Ichigo wiggled as Yoruichi's arms seemed to tighten around his body, frowning as the woman kept her grip solid. It was only when another arm was thrown over his and Yoruichi's shoulder and a warm mass pressed against his back that he rolled his eyes in resignation.

"We'll be okay." Ichigo wasn't so sure about himself because the heat between the two individuals was near-unbearable, but he knew for a fact that the pair of adults would help each other through this time.

He felt one of Yoruichi's hands leave his shoulder, hazel eyes glancing up to see the hand connecting with one of Kisuke's own. He allowed a small smile to pull at his lips, the image reminding him greatly of the few times he was able to see his father and mother together.

It was the thought of his parents that caused Ichigo's mind to be assaulted with a wave of exhaustion, a combination of anxiety, fear, pain, and grief catching up with the child and making his eyes droop. The infernal heat he wanted to complain about was now the most comfortable thing he had ever experienced, hazel eyes dimming in intensity until they were covered by tanned lids.

Ichigo missed the gentle smiles the two adults shared as unconsciousness took him, images of bright lights and a soft voice plaguing his dreams.

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I'm gonna try and keep the chapters short and on one main focal point so I'm cutting it off here~ -3- hopefully I can like learn to add more detail and chizz and get better dialogue out there soon, but this is a work in progress that is getting better so whoo! o3o

Also~ I might think about posting those already made and re-edited chapters if I get some reviews~ ;3 *wink wink*


	3. I See Night

**Super serious important author's note! Read** **it!**

Third installment of I See Fire and boy is this one informative (not really)~ Also super serious apologies for f'ing up the ordering of the chapters! This is the _real_ chapter 2 and I will repost chapter three and also chapter 4 to make up for my own mistake~ -A- I'm so sorry~~

 **It's over, continue!**

* * *

Ichigo awoke slowly as the glowing ball started to descend below the trees outside his window. Immediately forgetting his exhaustion, and the slight headache that had returned, the child scrambled towards the glass and pressed his face against the clear pane, eyes trained on the slowly darkening sky in wonderment at the many colors that stemmed from the horizon.

Reds, oranges, yellows, even purples glowed brightly in the once blue sky. Ichigo could already see the first inklings of darkness stretching to take over what the glowy orb had created, the little pinpricks of everlasting stars farther up twinkling as it grew darker. Ichigo pouted as he finally saw the orb dip below the horizon, the sky fighting for the last remnants of orange light before dispersing into pitch black only broken by the stars above.

Ichigo allowed his hands to slide from the window, preparing to leave the room in search of Kisuke for more of the syrupy medicine before a sudden light in the distance caught his eye. Hazel eyes immediately latched onto the growing trails of light that seemed to slither into the sky from some point high up in the mountain. It was a strange green that almost looked purple in a the dark sky.

"Whoa…." Ichigo had never seen anything more beautiful- big, glowing orb forgotten for the moment- than the swirling lights above.

"Ichigo? You awake?" Ichigo couldn't tear his eyes away from the glowing lights, mouth agape as they stretched across the sky in random patterns. He heard footsteps approach before his bed dipped to his right, a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "Hey, Kisuke got some more fruit if you want to eat."

"Mm."

Ichigo felt the hand leave his shoulder before tangling in his hair again. He finally tore his eyes away from the lights in the sky to press further into the comforting hand, eyes sliding closed as he yawned.

Yoruichi's chuckle had his eyes opening minutely, "Come on, sleepy head. Let's get some more medicine and food before going back to bed."

Ichigo wrapped his arms around Yoruichi's neck, not wanting to walk the short distance to the dining area. When they reached the table, Ichigo wiggled enough for Yoruichi to set him in his own chair, his hands immediately diving into the assortment of fruits on a large plate in the center of the table.

"Do you like the equinox?" Ichigo paused in his eating, a strawberry halfway to his mouth. He tilted his head in confusion as he turned the strange word over in his head.

"What's an...equinots?" Kisuke chuckled at his pronunciation, but Ichigo ignored it as he finally ate the fruit in his hand.

"'Equinox', Ichigo, and it's the glowing lights in the sky." Ichigo's mouth opened as though to vocalize his understanding while he nodded at the information.

It was a nice name for the sky lights: _equinox_. Now they just needed a name for the glowy orb.

"Where does it come from?" Ichigo's fingers grappled for an orange that threatened to roll off the table, nails digging into the skin and peeling it messily.

"The king is the one that controls the light, or _is_ the lights, I should say. He sheds his physical body to take on his spirit form and ward off the darkness." Ichigo's eyes were wide as he imagined a decked out king bursting into the multiple lights that danced across the sky.

HIs brows furrowed as he chewed an orange slice, swallowing the orange slice before picking at the half-eaten fruit unconsciously. "Who's the king?"

Ichigo tossed another orange slice in his mouth as he thought on his sparse time spent in the village. Out of his whole 253 years, he could only remember going there three, twice with his father and just to talk to some old people that had weird sparkles in their hair and that one time with his mother before she disappeared. Ichigo could never remember coming across anyone that would be in the realm of 'king', and found himself questioning the validity of Kisuke's claims of there being one in the first place.

"He's a great man, but lived secluded from the rest of his village for the most part of his life." Kisuke's tone was reverent as he spoke, eyes drifting towards the lights that glowed outside the window. "I believe he is choosing to stay nearer to his people now that Aizen has become a bigger threat."

"Aizen?" Ichigo could vaguely remember mentions of that name being thrown around during conversations between his parents.

Kisuke nodded as he bit into an apple, wiping the juice from his lips with the back of his hand. "He's caused quite a bit of trouble over the last couple hundred years."

"The dark follows him like a plague." Ichigo paused in his eating as Yoruichi spoke, her voice monotone and void of the usual life she excluded like a fire. "It's vile. It steals the lives of the innocent and leaves spirits defenseless. That's why we rely on the light of the royal family, to protect us from the dangers that lurk in the dark."

Ichigo slowly turned to stare at the glowing lights in the sky in reverence, mentally thanking them for protecting him from all the darkness in the world. He could only believe the glowy sphere did the same, but in a brighter, longer-lasting way.

Ichigo missed the sad smiles Kisuke and Yoruichi sent his way, too caught up in the lights that caused a strange warmth to blossom in his chest.

* * *

Ichigo gave Yoruichi a strange look as she led them further into the forest. They had retired after eating a few hours prior, the oranget waking in time to see the glowy orb give golden light to the green-tinted landscape outside his window. Stifling a yawn, Ichigo stepped cautiously over a mangled, tree root, his foot catching on an unseen vine and causing him to fall towards the forest floor. He gasped as he was swiftly grabbed by the back of his shirt, pulled up until he was eye-level with a smirking Yoruichi.

"Need some help?" Ichigo managed to cross his arms uncomfortably while glaring at the woman, shaking his head wildly. Yoruichi quirked a brow before setting him on a clear patch of ground, continuing forward as though nothing had happened. "Alrighty then."

Ichigo quickly moved to match her pace, careful to step over every obstacle he encountered so as not to be embarrassed by another fall. So entranced by his chaotic dance through the forest, he didn't notice when Yoruichi stopped.

He slammed into the back of her legs, rubbing pitifully at his nose as he glared up at her from the ground. Her chuckles were light-hearted and made Ichigo's anger wash away as he turned his attention to the open area they had entered.

It was a large meadow. Tall grass waved with the swirling winds while flowers were spotted amongst the area in random patches of blues, yellows, and reds.

Ichigo swiped the dirt from the bottom of his pants as he made to stand beside Yoruichi, fighting down the instinct to grab the fabric of her pants. "What are we doing here?"

Yoruichi didn't answer immediately, instead holding out her right hand in offering. Ichigo took it without a thought, Yoruichi's fingers encircling his hand protectively as she started forward. Ichigo was thankful for the slower pace and even ground, eyes immediately zeroing in on the abundance of blue sky above and watching the clouds pass by. He smiled at the breeze that tickled his cheeks and made his shirt flap against his back, eyes glowing with wonder as they approached an area that was devoid of both flowers and tall grass.

"I was trained here, when I was younger." Ichigo looked up at Yoruichi in question, tilting his head as he scanned the flattened expanse of ground with grass that barely reached his toes. "I learned how to protect myself from the dark, how to portray light through my movements. You can learn to do the same until your spirit begins to embody itself through you."

Ichigo's face scrunched up cutely as he thought on the many big words thrown his way, locking onto the word spirit and connecting it to the lights from before. With an excited gleam in his eyes, the oranget looked up at the purple haired woman with unparalleled enthusiasm. Yoruichi dropped the serious vibe at Ichigo's cute expression, ruffling his hair gently before sitting indian-style in the grass.

"Sit like me, Ichigo." Ichigo scrambled to comply, sitting across from Yoruichi instead of beside her. The smile didn't leave her lips as she instructed him on the next part of her training. "Now close your eyes."

"Why?" Ichigo felt all his perfectly built hopes crumble at Yoruichi's instructions, pouting cutely as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Yoruichi shook her head gently at his rebellious nature, motioning him closer before plucking a blade of grass and rubbing it between her fingers.

"Do you know that most battles that happen among spirits are as much mental as they are physical? Do you know, it's not only the strongest that conquer, but also the most intelligent?" Yoruichi's eyes glowed as she brought up one final point, "It's the ones that observe- that _listen_ and _hear_ and _feel_ \- that win, _not_ the ones that use brute force to bring their opinions to light."

"Now tell me what you hear."

Ichigo was at a loss for words as he tried to take in the world around them, only hearing the distant chirp of birds and the quiet roar of a river that flowed somewhere to his right. Noticing his conflicted expression, Yoruichi placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, eyes soft.

"This is why we close our eyes. One less sense to worry about amplifies the ones we still possess." Yoruichi smoothed her hand over Ichigo's eyes until she felt his eyelids slide shut, pulling it away and watching his calm expression with one of hope. "Now. _Feel_."

Ichigo didn't know what he was supposed to be feeling until he felt it. And it didn't come gently like Yoruichi made it out to be, but like the rough slamming of a raging rapids into his ears and skin. The birds he once heard as irregular chirps and caws suddenly gained voices that sang in melodic harmonies that threatened to burst his eardrums, their excited twitters giving way to bits of information before flitting to the next possible subject. The once quiet roar of the river became a ground-shaking drum of powerful currents forcing water down a complicated path. The grass that scraped the exposed skin of his calves felt strangely rough where he once knew it to be smooth and soft. His lips pulled down in a frown as he focused more on the feeling, finally able to make out the minute hairs that ran along each blade of grass, the strange prickle of each follicle.

"Ichigo." The child gasped as his eyes shot open, immediately closing against the harsh light as he tried to get his limbs back into working order. It took a long moment for Ichigo to trust his eyes against the burning light from above, slowly opening them and glancing at Yoruichi through his bangs.

She had a proud grin on her lips, eyes glowing brightly as she beckoned him forward. Ichigo sluggishly crawled closer to his guardian, too tired to squeak as she pulled him into a tight hug and pressed his face into her neck.

"Got it in one, berry! I'll make Kisuke get plenty of strawberries for you tonight!"

Ichigo managed a lazy smile before his eyes slipped shut, soft snores emanating from his open mouth as Yoruichi laughed into the empty meadow.

* * *

"...him glow!"

"Yoruichi, it's too soon for his spirit to start its embodiment."

"I swear!"

Ichigo groaned as he rolled closer to a heat source near his right, smile lighting his lips at the warmth that soaked into his chilled limbs. He heard the soft patter of feet against the hardwood floors behind the sharp cracks and sputters of the fire- the source of warmth, presumably. The footsteps stopped short a few inches from his head, Ichigo trying- and failing- to ignore the eyes that refuse to waver from his form.

"You're not kidding…."

"Told ya so!"

"Mm." Ichigo grumbled as he rolled onto his back, hazy eyes locking onto Kisuke's shocked face before scowling. The orange haired child lazily pushed the thin blanket from his body, sliding into a sitting position before locking his eyes on the flames roaring in the fireplace.

The warmth drew a strange feeling from him, Ichigo's eyes lightening to a startling gold as he watched the fire dance in the fireplace.

"Ichigo? You hungry?" The orange haired child hums distractedly, eyes still trained on the fire. His brows furrowed as he imagined a woman dancing among the embers before being covered by a puff of smoke from a collapsing log. Ichigo blinked as his focus was finally broken, looking at the two adults in the room with childish confusion.

"Is there food?"

Ichigo didn't wait for a reply, pushing himself to his feet and racing towards the table with a strange weightlessness to his once sluggish body. Climbing into his chair, the orange haired child gasped at the abundance of red fruit spread across a large plate set at 'his spot'. Grubby fingers grabbed as many strawberries as they can before shoving them into Ichigo's mouth, the child humming around the fruit as the juice slipped down his chin.

Ichigo paused mid-chew as he heard Yoruichi and Kisuke whispering near the fireplace, planning to turn around before remembering Yoruichi's lessons earlier that day. Swallowing the mush of food in his cheeks, Ichigo closed his eyes, immediately focusing on the soft voices of the two adults.

"...too soon."

"We'll handle it."

"You need to talk to his father."

Ichigo's eyes shot open at the mention of his father. They narrowed a moment later when he recalled how the conversation had changed the previous day once they mentioned his mother, too. Ichigo quickly wiped the unease from his face as he heard them approach, shoving another mouthful of strawberries in his face so they wouldn't ask any questions.

It also gave him time to think of some of his own, questions that had steadily built in number and severity with each passing hour spent with the mysterious adults.

"So I hear Yoruichi is teaching you?" Kisuke bit into a green apple sharply, the crunch grating on Ichigo's still oversensitized hearing.

"Yeah. She taught me how to hear and feel things." Ichigo gave a real smile as he thought on the lesson from the meadow, actually quite enthralled with the idea of being able to feel one's surroundings so deeply.

It was like having another set of eyes that felt the landscape instead of scoping it.

"And that's only step one! Soon you'll be able to run through the darker parts of the forest without the aid of light." Yoruichi popped a blueberry in her mouth, munching thoughtfully as she tapped the rim of a ceramic mug filled with tea. "And if you're _really_ awesome, like me, then your eyes will even get this little glow to them."

Ichigo's chewing slowed to a near stop as he recalled the many times he'd seen the purple haired woman's eyes glow with an unearthly light, finally able to place the strange occurrence with a side effect from some training she went through as a child. Ichigo was not afraid to admit he thought it was freaking amazing around his mouthful of fruit.

Yoruichi chuckled as she sipped her tea, humming thoughtfully as her eyes drifted to the lights that started to stream from the mountains. "That time of night again. Finish up so you can get some sleep. I don't want you falling asleep again tomorrow."

Ichigo pouted as he finished off the rest of his fruit, gulping his chilled tea with a grimace before throwing a longing look at the green lights that illuminated the forest. There was something strangely familiar about them, but the child pushed the thought away as he left the table and headed towards his room. He chose to ignore the hushed words that started when he left the area, closing the door to his room with a soft click before throwing himself on the bed and rolling towards the window.

Hazel eyes stayed on the lights that danced across the sky, a smile lighting soft features and giving a teasing hint of what his face would look like in later years. Ichigo was ignorant to it all as he allowed the lights to act as a calming visual to his frayed thoughts, slowly piecing them together until his consciousness left him.

Dreams of rolling hills and peaked mountains dusted with wildflowers danced behind his eyes, Ichigo smiling as the green light fell on his exposed face and warmed his skin.

* * *

Let me again apologize for putting the chapters in at the wrong order...I worded them stupid in the doc manager and just got all confused~ ;-; sorry I f'ed up you few people that read this~ honestly.


	4. I See Answers

Don't exactly have a plan for this chapter….at all….but I figured to start writing is better than to let my ideas die~ :3 away I fly!

 **Seriously Important Fic Info**

Okay, readers! I think you guys kinda need some information on how age works in this chizz! Unless I already talked about it then move on... But yes, for spirits/stars/mythical beings they age according to 1 human year=50 spirit years! Good? Good. Onto the story!

 **Back to your regularly scheduled program~**

* * *

"Why can't I see my parents?" Ichigo crossed his arms over his chest as he pouted at the still adults, their eyes trained on him in something akin to shock. He had gotten a chance to order his thoughts the previous night and couldn't help but be a tad indignant at the information hidden from him by his 'guardians'.

"...It's complicated." Ichigo wanted to question the validity of the statement, giving Kisuke his best glare and mentally smirking as the man sighed in defeat. "There are things that you won't understand until you're older and things that can't be explained until you reach a certain level in your training. Again, very complicated."

"That doesn't explain anything, though…."

Ichigo's expression morphed into a sour scowl, his arms tightening across his chest as he glared at the half-eaten apple on his otherwise empty plate. He had already awoken in a rather unkind manner, Yoruichi thinking it funny to throw him from his bed without warning and causing him to gain a pounding headache.

She pushed his training till the following day because of the large bump that now adorned his temple.

"Ichigo, there are just things that can't be explained no matter how much we try to simplify them." The oranget's scowl deepened before he pushed his chair away from the table, stalking from the room with a negative aura that visible darkened the air around his body.

"I'm going to lay down."

Ichigo didn't hear any complaints and found himself thankful for that small reprieve, his door cutting off the silence of the hall with a click. Ichigo's eyes roved over his room, again taken aback by just how large it was for someone his size, taking in the clothes strewn about the floor and the window that let in pure, golden light. Ichigo approached his glass in a trance, fingers lifting the worn wood and nose taking in the fresh scent of approaching spring and life that wafted through the opening.

' _Ichigo_.' Ichigo blinked at the whispered words, eyes roving over his room before settling on the swaying grass beyond his window. A sudden breeze drifted through the window, bringing with it a scent that he hadn't encountered for quite some time. The child took a deep breath, eyes drifting to half-mast as he cautiously slipped from his window.

The grass softened his landing, feet taking him into the surrounding forest. Ichigo's eyes remained locked forward as he stepped over mangled roots and shrubs, feet almost floating as he entered a familiar clearing. Ichigo continued until he reached a single tree set deep in the valley of a few surrounding hills, sliding to the ground at the base and tilting his head back to watch the leaves sway in the wind.

' _Ichigo_.' The orange haired child noticed the sudden warmth that seemed to exclude from somewhere to his right, head moving to turn before hazel eyes widened at the hindered movement. He prepared to cry out, protest the strange chains that seemed to wrap around his body, but was stopped at the feel of a hand on his shoulder.

It was light, fingers barely playing on the exposed skin of his neck, almost nonexistent. He could see a strange shimmer from the corner of his eyes, feeling a strange amount of comfort in the familiar golden light.

' _You are troubled_?' Ichigo barely managed a nod, eyes trained on the leaves above and the strangely hypnotic rays of light that broke through the small gaps between the branches. ' _Would you like to talk about it_?'

"I don't know what's going on…." Ichigo felt his frustration rise again as he fought to face the warmth at his side, nearly whining in irritation as he barely managed a flick of his fingers. "Who are you? What's going on?"

Ichigo felt the strange warmth shift, the light seeming to dim slightly as the ghostly hand slid from his shoulder to his hand. Thin fingers wrapped around his own, a warmth flooding his chest at the tender action as he tightened his own in response.

' _For what's going on….I can't explain everything now. Maybe later, when you have experienced more of this new world. As for who I am,_ ' Ichigo nearly gasped as he watched the branches shift away above his head, a sudden beam of light bringing warmth to the shaded area, ' _I am the one who made a sacrifice for her people, for her husband, for her child._ '

Ichigo felt a ghost of a hand brush his cheek, gently turning his head towards the glowing figure beside him and promptly wiping at the tears that rose to his eyes. Ichigo quickly broke whatever chains were wrapped around his body- ignoring the fact that they had dropped when he head was turned- to throw himself at the glowing brunette with a cry of happiness. Warm arms encircled his body in a tight hug, his face pressed into a translucent shoulder.

' _I hope you can forgive me for leaving you. If there was any other way to hold off Aizen's advances, I would have taken it gladly._ ' Ichigo could bring himself to care much about her words, arms tightening around her shoulders as he allowed grievous tears to sink into her golden skin. ' _You must understand that there are forces at work beyond our comprehension, beyond even that of the elders_.'

Ichigo frowned into her skin, pulling away to frown at his mother in confusion. He could vaguely remember hearing Yoruichi and Kisuke talking about some weird elders before, but not understanding what they had to do with anything at the time.

"Why do old people matter?"

Masaki's chuckle was as light as her glow, actual bits of light moving to dance around the two as she ran a hand through Ichigo's hair. ' _The elders have been around since the time of the world's creation. Their wisdom is said to be beyond that of even the greatest of prophets and their power unimaginable in its discreet control._ '

Ichigo felt his head spin at the jumble of words, trying to order the new information around everything else he had learned recently and finding a headache rising quickly.

' _Ichigo_ ,' the orange haired child looked at his mother with a pout, headache lessening as she placed a kiss on his forehead. ' _I must return to my duties above._ '

Ichigo's eyes widened as he threw his arms around her again, crying negatives into the glowing air as he burrowed into her chest. "You can't leave again! I don't wanna be alone! I wanna go with you!" There was a certain desperation in his tone, Masaki's fingers rubbing soothing circles into his back as she smiled at the top of his head.

' _But to stay here would put you in danger, would put the whole of the forest in danger._ ' Masaki's cheek rested against her son's head gently, a small smile touching her lips as she listened to his lingering sniffles with a hint of regret. ' _I have the power to protect those close to me and those yet to come, with it I can watch over the whole of my people as they continue to grow stronger against Aizen's forces. I can be a warrior. I can be the_ sun _._ '

Ichigo's brows quirked at the strange word before he noticed his mother's fading glow, his hands slipping from her shoulders as he sat back in her disappearing lap. "Mommy?! No!"

Ichigo felt tears race down his cheeks as she raised a hand to wipe them away, hands gripping her still tangible appendage tightly before it too was whisked away into the atmosphere.

' _I'm always watching, Ichigo._ ' Masaki pressed another kiss to the crown of his head, a gentle smile playing at her lips as the last of her body disappeared into the air. ' _I love you with everything that I am_.'

Ichigo watched in stunned silence as the last of his mother disappeared into small particles of light, floating through the gap in the branches above before they slid into place as though nothing had happened. The orange haired child wiped angrily at the tears that continued to fall from his eyes, a broken sob falling from his lips as he leaned back against the tree. The bark scratched angry red lines into his exposed biceps, the orange haired child ignoring the slight pain as he tried to fight down his wild emotions.

A strong wind billowed through the clearing, Ichigo's cries carried away towards a small cabin where two eccentric adults were arguing over their previous actions. They stopped immediately upon hearing the pure anguish coming from the usually docile boy, racing from the home with an unnatural speed and grace only to find Ichigo curled into himself under the shade of the lone tree.

A semi-sphere of wind surrounded the boy, whipping at his exposed arms and tousling his hair to hopefully get a positive reaction as the two adults approached cautiously.

"Ichigo?" Yoruichi felt a blade slide through her heart as the child only curled further into himself, the wind having ceased its constant movement to instead linger at the peaks of the surrounding hills. The purple haired woman slowly approached the sniffling child, careful to ease onto the ground next to him and keep a bit of space between their bodies.

She hadn't forgotten Ichigo's hasty retreat from earlier.

"Ichigo? Talk to us; what happened?" Yoruichi's fingers curled into fists to withhold the urge to run through his hair, her own ponytail frazzled from the quick run and strewn with random twigs and leaves.

Ichigo only released another pitiful sob, fingers clenching the fabric of his pants until his knuckles turned white.

"She's gone…." Yoruichi didn't have to ask to know who 'she' was, quick to grab the distraught child and pull him into her lap. His arms immediately wrapped around her neck, face pressed into her shoulder as he let whatever tears he had left soak into the fabric of her robe. "She said she can't come back."

"What?"

Kisuke had remained quiet throughout the ordeal, not completely up to speed on the whole taking care of a child thing yet, but at the mention of Ichigo talking to his mother- his mother who is supposed to be a glowing ball of fire in the sky a million miles above their heads- he couldn't stop himself from voicing his disbelief.

He immediately feels guilty at a look from Yoruichi, though he didn't back down from his question, easing closer until he was sitting before the two. "You talked to your mother?"

Ichigo meekly pulled away from Yoruichi's shoulder, wiping at his puffy eyes with the back of his hand as he nodded. His emotions had mostly levelled off and all the crying had left him feeling drained. He refrained from yawning as Kisuke's eyes gained a strange glint, a new light shining in the irises.

"What did she say?" Ichigo closed his eyes as he recalled the bits of information he _did_ understand. He could never remember his mother speaking to him like that, like he was an adult. It was a daunting experience and left Ichigo's head reeling.

The main thing he could remember was where his mother was, his head tilted back as he watched the branches sway above their heads.

"Ichigo?"

Climbing out of Yoruichi's lap, Ichigo walks the short distance away from the tree's shade, eyes fixed on the glowing orb in the sky: the _sun_. His mother.

He smiles because she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen in his life.

"She's gonna be here forever."

Ichigo chances a glance at his guardians, surprised to see them with strange smiles on their faces as they approached him. The two took seats on either side of him, Kisuke's hand squeezing his shoulder comfortingly as Yoruichi's hand drags through his hair.

"You know." Ichigo hums in affirmative, a stifled yawn falling from his lips as a cool wind brushes the hill. "I think it's time we take you back. You've had a tiring day."

Ichigo nods, finally tearing his eyes away from his mother and towards Yoruichi. He rubs pitifully at his eyes, scowling weakly at Yoruichi's chuckles before he is hefted into her arms. His eyes fight to stay open as they ascend the hill that leads towards the cabin, the orange haired child catching a final glimpse of a translucent brunette waving from under the cover of the tree before he succumbs to his exhaustion.

* * *

"I'm the prince, right?"

Ichigo had come to another startling realization as he lay awake after a _very_ amazing nap, the words from one of Yoruichi's lessons coming back with the force of a galestorm as he thought on his mother's form of protection: light.

"...So much for saving things till you're older." Kisuke sighs into his cup of tea, setting it on the table before fixing Ichigo with a soft look. "Any reason you feel the need to break any and all barriers we'd planned to give you a relatively _normal_ childhood outside of royal duties?"

Ichigo just shrugged as he chewed absently on a strawberry, taking a sip from his own cup of tea as he waits for the man to continue.

"The thing is….we were ordered to give you some semblance of normalcy away from the village." Kisuke's eyes strayed to the window where the last remnants of sunlight were disappearing below the horizon, "Mostly because that's the first place Aizen will target to take out those that have the highest chance of defeating him. We are protected here; I have made sure of that."

Ichigo doesn't question the older man on the validity of his statement, assured by his serious tone and the strange light he notices in his eyes again.

He would have to ask about that later.

"We will work to get you acclimated to the whole idea soon enough, but that's a couple hundred years off." Yoruichi waves off Kisuke's seriousness with her hand, taking a deep drink of something that doesn't smell like tea and has her leaning most of her weight onto the table.

"Till then, act like a kid. Dance around a fire, eat bugs, bleed. All that good stuff." Ichigo didn't know what to think about the eating bugs and bleeding, but the dancing around a fire sounded okay. More or less…

"Are we going to keep training in the meadow? And will I see other people….at all?"

Ichigo felt a bit of apprehension at the thought of spending the next few hundred years in the care of the strange adults and them alone. It was a disturbing thought and left Ichigo craving the warm arms of his mother's ghostly touch.

"We'll let you meet some people that matter….but only if you complete your lessons and act like a good, little prince." Ichigo pouted at the thought of acting 'princely', crossing his arms over his chest as he imagined himself decked in the finest of cloths, his hair unnaturally tame and his back straight.

"I don't wanna act like a prince…."

"It's a package deal. You have to learn diplomacy whether you want to or not." Ichigo scowled at the hand that tousled his already messy locks, batting helplessly at Kisuke's hand as the man chuckled, "Don't worry, that part doesn't come till much later. I would rather wait until your light makes itself known in a conscious manner."

Ichigo nodded as he took a sip of tea, staring at the dark liquid in the cup as he thought on when his spirit might make itself known. He couldn't help but wish it would be soon, already excited at the prospect of using his light to become an _equinox_ like his father or something equally as bright as his mother. Ichigo pouted when he realized it was probably going to take _forever_ until he could actually do anything with his spirit, even after it made itself known.

"Don't pout so much, berry. They'll show up sooner or later. Heck, I didn't get my spirit form till in my late 500s." Ichigo looked skeptically at the purple haired woman, her cup pushed to the side as she appraised a peach in the middle of her plate. "Kisuke's didn't come till about his mid-600s, so it's not that uncommon for some spirits to get them well into their thousandth year."

"When did Mom get hers? And what about dad?"

" _That_ you'll have to wait and hear another time. Go to bed little sun! We've got a _big_ day planned tomorrow!"

Ichigo wanted to glare at the nickname but found himself fighting a smile at the thought of what the following day would bring. He uttered a hurried goodnight before leaving the table, his plate clean of any fruit and their sweet juices. He scurried into his room with a small laugh, launching himself into his bed and rolling close to the window where the green lights from above glowed on the foot of his bed.

"Night dad….Night mom."

Ichigo's lips curved into a gentle smile as his eyes slid closed, breathing evening out as the green lights gained a hint of gold before returning to their original color.

* * *

Cutting off because no more ideas and I wanna do a timeskip with a few flashback-esque scenes in between~ -3- is this an alright time to do that chizz or nah? I don't know so I'm doin it~ -3- control is an amazing thing~~ And please drop me some reviews...I want some kind of feedback because I feel like this is crappy and don't know what to think about favs and junk~ . Thanks and deuces~


	5. I See Growth

**Super important Author's** **Note!**

Okay, so for those of you that have been reading, I accidently posted some chapters in the wrong order so the new chapter two is the real chapter two and the old chapter two is now chapter 3! I'm posting chapter 4 bc I f'ed up and you guys deserve better~ v.v Hope you likey.

Note: When this starts Ichigo is like 5 in regular people years and then jumps him to 7 by the end~ nothing big happens just his light manifesting itself consciously….finally…. still working on how to actually _do_ legit flashbacks but that's fine~ :3

 **Super Important Author's Note Over!**

* * *

The wind whistled through the trees, taking with it leaves and the occasional flower. Laughter seemed to follow the wayward objects, the wind swirling around one of the taller trees in the forest before sliding down a sizeable hill and into a clearing. A long, stone table was set in the center of the clearing, various spirits bustling about the stretch of smooth stone with woven baskets overflowing with food. As soon as the laughter reached those setting the table, everyone paused to watch the flowers and twigs swirl into a transparent tornado.

Figures began to gain shape as the wind continued to swirl, three figures stepping from the cyclone and giving small greetings to those surrounding the table.

"Welcome back, Shuuhei. Haven't seen you in a couple days." The wind spirit ran a hand through his unkempt hair as he smiled at the snow spirit, chuckling as she brushed past him to give her 'brother' a hug.

"Been busy watchin' the prince. He's advancing fast for one so young, already manifested his spirit form. Unconsciously, that is." Shuuhei's lip jutted out in a mock pout as Rukia continued to ignore him in exchange for greetings, the raven coming back with a small smile on her lips.

"Unconsciously, you say? He'll either be as chaotic as his father or as bright as his mother." Rukia paused as she led the three towards the scraggle of rocks on the edge of the clearing, motioning for each to start moving them into place as she thought. "Knowing his lineage, it'll be a bit of both."

"The kid was already showing signs of gaining his spirit form _way_ before the raid. I'm sure it won't take but another hundred years or so." Rukia turned towards the redheaded spirit draping tanned cloth along the larger stone that resembled a chair at the head of the table. "You do remember all those games he played right?"

Rukia remained silent as she was lost in her memories, thinking back on the hours she would spend watching the young prince dance around bonfires late into the night. She had never understood his strange obsession with the act, most putting it on his connection to the light it provided, and had sought out his mother for answers. The queen was generous with the information, explaining it as a form of 'training' for a younger light spirit's future form.

The steps in the dance were very specific, each swing of an arm or twitch of a leg giving rise to a different wave of power within the spirit's being. Masaki explained all this in minute detail and with a strangely cryptic tone.

Rukia had never understood why she treated the explanation so seriously until the raid and Masaki's subsequent sacrifice.

"Dancing wasn't a game, dummy. It was a form of expression." Rukia swept a hand across one of the final seating stones, stepping away from the table with the rest of the spirits to praise their work.

The table was outlined by a large fire that was beginning to die down to the far right, long, stone benches set up alongside the smooth rocks in preparation for their daily feast. The air was somber as the first inklings of light broke the mountaintop to the east, the snow of Toshiro's domain glittering like crystalline water as the golden light rained down upon their smiling forms.

It was always an amazing sight to see their queen rise like clockwork, her bright glow giving light to their otherwise dark world. A multitude of eyes immediately drifted towards the trails of green light that danced across the horizon, Isshin's lights swirling together in the air until a certain point then slowly descending towards the clearing. When the swirls of green light made contact with the grass, his body began to take form, starting as his feet and slowly moving upwards.

His face was somber as the last of his light was transformed into weather-darkened skin, features set in a frown as he approached the head of the table. The spirits each approached their places at the table, everyone sitting amongst friends instead of in ranks of spiritual prowess. All was silent as Isshin eased into his chair, sparing a longing glance at the glowing orb of fire above their heads before smiling to himself.

"Let the feast begin!" Though his voice was soft, not having been louder than that of a normal person since Masaki's transition, it reached the ears of all those around the table. Simple conversations broke out as the spirits dove into the food spread out before them, smiles lighting many faces as they said their thanks to both the elders and the queen.

Isshin watched his people feast quietly from the head of the table, sipping at a cup of water before tilting his head back. He smiled to himself at the sight of his beautiful wife, glowing brighter than any star, brighter than those stuffy, old elders and any fire they could produce. He chuckled lightly as he thought on Masaki's presumed spherical form, wondering how much trouble he would be in at pointing out how 'round' she was. As though sensing his thoughts, the sunlight dancing along his exposed arms and face grew warmer.

"Just a joke, dear. Just a joke…"

Isshin thought he could hear Masaki's airy laughter as he turned his attention to the feast.

* * *

"Pathetic."

The shadowy figure sneered at the inverted picture created by the feasting spirits, clicking his teeth in irritation as he ran slender fingers along the skin of his throat where the shadows tightened minutely.

"Calm yourself, my pet. All will come to fruition soon enough." Aizen's breath blew from his lips in a relieved sigh as the shadows loosened their hold, fingers continuing in their stroking as he padded softly along the blackened grass.

Aizen sniffed as he thought on his first trip to this 'Other World', as he called it, a place where the shadows ruled supreme. It was very daunting, especially when all he had to go on were the words of a blind Spirit by the name of Tousen. The man had apparently always had a connection to the shadows because of his lack of sight, something about eternal darkness and a part of his soul being entwined with the complex landscape. Aizen imagined it as a load of bull until he caught sight of the spirit disappearing into a dark patch of ground during one of his scouts.

The questions immediately became more insistent: Where did he go? What did this new world have to offer? What of this darkness? How was any of this possible?

Tousen chose to drag him along the next time he entered the new world, Aizen's breath catching in his throat as he was enveloped in something that chilled him to the bone, stole the very breath from his lungs. It was _exhilarating_.

Aizen revelled in the few hours he spent locked away in the inverted world, Tousen explaining the quirks of the strange land as he led Aizen through a forest that mirrored their own. The brown haired spirit listened with rapt attention, quickly becoming interested in the dark entities that trailed them like wild animals and their connections to both the real and shadow realms. Tousen was silent as Aizen questioned him on their origins, the blind spirit only giving Aizen a fair warning to avoid them at all costs.

Aizen was glad the blind man couldn't see the harsh glare directed at him, instead agreeing to leave soon after.

That, however, didn't stop him from searching out the dark figures in his own realm.

They clung to anything that wasn't light, Aizen being sure to stick to the outer edges of the forest where the large bonfires couldn't shine any of their light. They sought him out easily, the dark figures slithering from the forest like cobras as they twined around his feet. Aizen could still remember the strange hisses that came with each freezing touch, the curious screams that echoed in his ears before abruptly cutting off.

Then came the emotions.

It nearly brought the man to his knees. The anger, the hatred, the depression, the _want_. He could almost taste them all, the bitter, tangy, sweet, sweet spice of feelings that were too divided and too much and he couldn't breathe, and they were choking him and….

Aizen could only remember waking, who knows how long after that strange assault, to a pain in his body from the neck down, his eyes seeing the world in diluted colors instead of the usual faux-light they always had.

 _Confusion and fear and pain mixed together as the figure ran and ran and ran, but she couldn't get far enough and it_ hurt _and she didn't know what to do and then_ -

Aizen gasped as he shot up, hand clenching his chest at the memory that wasn't his own, the _emotions_ that _weren't his_.

That was his first taste of the shadows, his first experience with the wonders they could do.

The pain they could inflict.

It hurt then, still hurt now, but he became apathetic to the memories that flashed in his mind with every step he took, ignored the screams the echoed in his ears in the wee hours of night, grew numb against the constant pain of having his body meld with something _not entirely spiritual_.

"Hm, still trying to figure that one out…" Aizen's voice was distant as he spoke, fingers falling from his neck as he watched the inverted figures clear off the stone table and go about their daily lives. He sneered as the wind spirit flew back into the forest, back to where they had hidden the blasted prince he was sure. "Yes. Soon all will be as it should be."

The shadows sent their own version of glee through his body: phantom pains of toxic light.

* * *

"He's coming along faster than I imagined." Yoruichi nodded as she watched the orange haired child dance around a small fire, his arms thrown wide as he stepped carefully around the crackling flames. His feet crossed as an arm swept above his head, golden eyes catching the glint of yellow light following his fingertips as he moved into the next step.

"It's amazing. Nearly impossible." Kisuke hummed in agreement, the two lost in their own thoughts as Ichigo's steps increased, his body moving low as he spun in tight circles that caused small strings of light to follow the spikes of his hair. "He's so much like her."

The two delved into a comfortable silence as Ichigo finally stopped, his body facing the flames. His shoulders moved up and down with each breath he took, hands loose at his sides. He stared at the fire a moment longer before turning to face them, a grin lighting his features.

At that moment, the two could've sworn they saw the translucent figure of his mother smiling proudly at his back before she disappeared into the crackling flames.

"I can finally do the last steps!" Ichigo's voice was excited as he practically skipped towards his guardians, flopping onto the grass with a laugh. "I haven't gotten to that part before because I always got too tired, but now I can do it!"

"And you did it wonderfully, too! Ah, it brought back memories of your mother and father doing the same dance in their youth." Kisuke fanned himself as he closed his eyes, a small smile pulling at his lips.

"If anything, you remind me of Masaki. Your father had _no_ rhythm to speak of and had to be taught the steps multiple times by your mother before he could do it properly." Yoruichi crossed her legs before propping an arm on a knee, leaning her head into her upturned palm as she watched the child before her with an amused smile. "He could never compare to Masaki, though. She was absolutely _flawless_ in her movements. Something she obviously passed on to you."

Ichigo smiled as he rocked on his patch of grass, chuckling as he imagined his father tripping over his feet to the 'simple' steps of the dance. He seemed to ignore the fact that the actual movements were quite complex, even for the fluid water spirits that had a similar dance to help them control the currents they ruled over.

"Well that just means I'm more awesome than dad and will be better than him one day!" Ichigo's eyes practically glowed as he thought on what the future would hold for him- he as the protector of the night, that glowed as brightly as his mother in the darkness.

He would be the brightest one day.

* * *

 _~100 years later~_

Ichigo breathed easily as he flowed through the steps of his improvised dance (having mastered the technical dance that honed his spiritual form some years ago), a peaceful smile on his lips as the sun warmed his tanned skin. The orange haired child moved an arm in a wide arc over his head while the other swooped across his chest, right foot dragging a circle into the dirt as his weight dropped to that side. His balance was immediately thrown backwards, his body bending low until the hand above his head connected with the ground, feet kicking him over until he could land gracefully on his feet again. The hand above his head dropped quickly, a trail of light following the descending path until it stopped at Ichigo's side.

The orange haired child blinked as he ran through the motion again, the same tendril of light breaking into existence before evaporating into the air.

"I….I did it…. I _did_ it!" Ichigo whooped as he ran circles around the tree he met his mother under years ago, throwing his arms in wide arcs around his body and watching the light rise from his skin before disappearing seconds later.

It was so beautiful and so _bright_! The orange haired child fell on his back with a laugh, breathing heavily as he watched the branches sway above his head, slivers of sunlight raining on the grass.

"So bright…." Ichigo raised a hand above his face, focusing on the rush of power he could feel pushing at his skin with fervor and smiling as the edges of his fingers blurred into a golden light. Concentrating a bit more, he was able to make his fingertips intangible also, wiggling what was left of them and watching as the bulbs of light followed with trailing tendrils.

' _Congratulations_.' The whispered word caused Ichigo's concentration to waver, his hand immediately transitioning back into skin and bone as he pouted. The voice was a new one and belonged to a man, but as Ichigo turned his head to and fro, he caught hide nor hair of the elusive speaker.

Glaring into the branches, the orange haired child crossed his arms over his chest. He would figure out who the mystery person was at a later time, right now he was just excited to show off his latest development. After pondering on the best way to break the news to his guardians, Ichigo decided he would try again later when they least expected it.

He could already imagine the surprise on their faces.

* * *

And surprised they were.

Kisuke, upon catching sight of his glowing hands (Ichigo wasn't just going to _tell_ them he manifested his spirit form consciously, that was boring), fell out of his chair, his hat fluttering to the floor beside his head as he stared, unseeing, at the ceiling.

"He's only 350…. _350_ …." Ichigo pouted at the man's mutterings, mentally noting that he was, in fact, 35 _4_.

"Gold…." Yoruichi's shock was still the strangest of the two of them, her eyes never leaving the golden light that sprouted from his hand in small pulses. Ichigo smiled as he focused on transforming the light back into regular fingers, nodding to himself as tan skin seemed to blossom from the end of his palm. "So _golden_."

"Cool, right! Just like mom!"

Ichigo bit excitedly into a strawberry, unconsciously feeling the flow of his light under his skin and wondering when he could manifest it fully. "But it shouldn't be happening this _fast_! Spiritual powers usually wait until at least the 400th year before making themselves known! It is completely unheard of for them to manifest this early, let alone for you to be able to control them to an extent like this."

Ichigo frowned as he glanced at his right hand, transitioning his fingers from tendrils of light to pliable flesh multiple times before pouting. "So….it's bad?"

"No!" Yoruichi aimed a kick at her husband's head before scooting closer to the orange haired spirit, running a hand through his hair as she smiled gently, "It's wonderful, kid! Think of how kickass it is to be the first spirit to get their form before 400? That's like, a new record that will probably never be beaten any time soon!"

Ichigo grinned at the thought, pressing further into the fingers running through his hair as he thought on this new development. He had finally, _finally_ , manifested his spirit form consciously and could begin his real training. Not that what Kisuke and Yoruichi had him doing for the past hundred years was 'boring' or 'easy', far from it actually, but it had become repetitive and like a constant reminder of his lack of spiritual presence, regardless of his guardians' reassurances of his powers manifesting within the next couple hundred years.

Ichigo smirked to himself as he realized he cut that time in half, his eyes glowing unknowingly as he finished his food. He could only imagine what new horrors would be involved with his new training regimen, but allowed himself to be swept up in the pure bliss of unlocking his inner spirit form.

Today was a _good_ day.

* * *

Cutting it off here because I think I've done pretty well~ :3 At least I think I did….tell me what you think peeps~ 3 I need feedback on what I need to change or whatevs~~ Again, super sorry I suck at life...


	6. I See Friends

Friendship is born in this chapter, guys! Friendship with spirits because Ichigo is an adventurous little tyke and would definitely sneak out the first chance he got. Also thanks to **ichkak** for literally reviewing everything~ ;u; it's legit and a super huge thank you~ And for your question on the twins and spirit birth, we get into that in chapter 6! ;) I'm pretty excited and hope you guys are too~

Enjoy~~

* * *

"I'm gonna get in _so_ much trouble for this…." Ichigo whispered to himself as he crept through the forest, eyes glowing as he stepped over roots and through shrubbery. It's not that he had a death wish or anything, but he couldn't get to sleep that night. Something was calling him, something from deep within the forest apparently. "Yoruichi is gonna kill me."

The forest responded with the echoing chirp of grasshoppers and cicadas, Ichigo smiling as he focused on the sounds buried underneath the repetitive clicks and trills of the insects. There was the constant shifting of branches and leaves as the wind rustled them, the quiet hum of resting wildlife, and the distant roar of the river. It was only when Ichigo heard, what sounded like, voices that he froze, pressing against the bark of a nearby tree as he heard the distinct crunch of feet on fallen leaves.

"Seriously dude, you need to get a life."

"I fail to see how my attention to my ancestry is call for 'getting a life', as you say."

Ichigo's brows furrowed at the voices, not recognizing them at all. He took a deep breath before peeking around the tree, hazel eyes widening as he caught sight of a large figure with red hair next to a shorter one with dark hair. The two wore strange leggings that clung tight at the hips before billowing out at the legs and gripping the ankles, their chests were bare though there were strange markings on both.

The redhead sported strange designs that stretched from his forehead to the waistband of his pants, his companion's skin looking to be the texture of tree bark with the rough patterns that seemed to be etched into the pale flesh.

"Say what you want but-"

"Quiet."

Ichigo gasped as the dark haired man turned in his direction, ducking behind the tree and trying futilely to even his breathing like Yoruichi had instructed him to.

It wasn't working.

"Who goes there!" Ichigo jumped at the voice, feeling the power billowing under the words and praying he wouldn't get in too much trouble later. Taking a deep breath, the prince peeked around the edge of the tree, hazel eyes immediately connecting with two pairs of disbelieving eyes.

"Hi?" Ichigo cursed himself for sounding so weak, swallowing to hopefully fix his suddenly dry mouth as he stepped from behind the tree. He fought hard to keep his light from rising to the surface, cursing himself for thinking it was okay to leave the cabin by himself at night when he could barely stop himself from going intangible at random.

Apparently that control in the beginning was a fluke. He blamed his excitement and Yoruichi's training, which- she only just told him a few years ago- not only gave him exceptional control of the power he already possessed but caused that power to grow in potency. Cue Ichigo losing whatever ground he had gained in his previous training.

"...Uryu? You seein' what I'm seein'?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Ichigo fought down his laughs as the redhead smacked the shorter male in the back of the head, the raven turning to glare at his companion heatedly. "That was no call for retaliation, _Renji_. And I only say so because I didn't expect my vision to be plausible…"

Ichigo felt his brows furrow as he tilted his head, eyes glowing brighter as he focused on the confusing figures before him. Taking a cautious step forward, he had two pairs of eyes snapping back to his form, narrowing apprehensively as they watched him critically.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo honestly didn't know where he was in the forest, just that he was farther from the cabin than Yoruichi and Kisuke ever let him travel on a good day. He was higher, that much was obvious by how much closer the equinox seemed than usual, but that was all he could figure out.

"Same could be said for you, kid." Ichigo scowled at being called kid, wanting to yell that he had finally reached his 400th year and was damn proud!

"I'm not a kid! And I asked you first, anyway." Ichigo's scowl was in full force as he narrowed his eyes at the infuriating redhead. He could feel his light move chaotically within his being as his emotions raged, barely keeping a tight lid on his raging spirit as the redhead smirked.

"Just a little nightly patrol. Speaking of which, haven't seen you in the village. You new or somethin'?"

Ichigo tilted his head in confusion, brows furrowing as he processed the redhead's words. So these two were from the village, which means they knew his dad. He eyed the two again in a different light, quirking a brow before voicing his thoughts.

"If this is the patrol of the village, then I'm glad I live with two psychopaths." Ichigo prepared to turn and return to the cabin, only stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Hazel eyes were wide as they turned and connected with the blazing eyes of the redhead.

"Tryin' to say something, _kid_?" Let it be known that Ichigo has a temper, one that Yoruichi said would be the death of him one day. He never believed her until that moment, his light growing in intensity until it broke through his finely held control, streaking into the surrounding forest and causing the redhead to take a step back.

Ichigo growled as he reeled in his spiritual form, clenching his jaw as he forced it into his skin and locked it down deep in his being. But the damage had been done, two pairs of eyes staring at him in shock.

"No way…."

"Prince…."

 _Fuck_. He'd only heard the word used by Kisuke when he screwed up one of his experiments but it seemed to personify his mood perfectly at that moment. Taking a cautious step back, Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he watched the two males move to stand beside each other.

"How do you know who I am?"

The raven stepped forward, Ichigo calming slightly as he had done nothing thus far to warrant his distrust, though he kept his guard up. From closer up, Ichigo could see that the marking on his skin looked more like the rough bark of a sturdy oak than he originally thought, his hair even twined with several, thin leaves.

Ichigo immediately knew he was a tree spirit, one of the famed prophets, a young one at that.

"Your light….it's like your mother's." Ichigo stiffened at the mention of his mother, relaxing as the raven made no further move to speak or come forward. It was strange, to hear about his resemblance to his parent- either one- from someone that he hadn't lived with for the past hundred and fifty years. "Where have you been all this time?"

Ichigo quirked a brow at the question, wondering just why the man sounded so desperate for an answer. Ichigo wondered whether it was smart to give one, shrugging his shoulders as he took an unconscious step closer to the tree at his right.

"I've been staying with Yoruichi and Kisuke." He heard the men's breaths hitch at the names, narrowing his eyes as they shared a glance before looking at him in bewilderment.

"They allow you to stay with them? Willingly? And you're completely fine, no experiments done on your person?" Ichigo felt both his brows disappear into his bangs at the questions, wanting to laugh at the pure _fear_ he saw in the raven's eyes. Since when had Yoruichi and Kisuke been anything other than caring goofballs (and slave drivers when training was mentioned)?

"More like forced me, but yeah, I'm fine. Why are you so scared of them?" The only time Ichigo had ever been scared of his guardians, was when he had done some dangerously stupid stunt on a cliff overlooking the valley.

He had wanted to make his body completely intangible, which didn't turn out how he wanted and ended up with him hanging from the edge of the cliff before the older spirits could pull him back up. It was surprisingly Kisuke who had been the most angered, his gray eyes bleeding into a near white as a strange energy surrounded him. It was only Yoruichi's hand on his elbow that stopped him from doing….whatever it was he planned on doing. That didn't mean Ichigo wanted to know of his possible actions that day, still terrified of the unnatural anger his usually level-headed guardian was capable of.

"They are dangerous individuals, prince. You must understand that their choice of residence was not random." Ichigo's brows furrowed as he thought on the spirit's words, Uryu if he remembered correctly. "The damage they can cause together is near equal to that of King Isshin at his best."

And wasn't _that_ an eye-opener. That would definitely explain why Yoruichi pushed him so hard in his physical training, and Kisuke in his mental honing.

Ichigo couldn't stop himself from chuckling as he imagined a raging Yoruichi and ever-calm Kisuke storming the village for a spar with his father or- this had probably happened- because somebody said something either spirit didn't agree with. "Makes sense. Yoruichi is a force all her own, but when she gets her mind set on something, nobody can stop her. Kisuke usually goes along just to see the destruction in action."

He did love his guardians, they were always _so_ entertaining.

"Uryu….they corrupted him." Ichigo focused on the silent- up until that point- redhead, smirking at the spirit's pale features.

"It would seem so." Ichigo only smiled sweetly as Uryu stepped back towards his companion, the two sharing a silent conversation before turning to him with questioning eyes. "Any reason you're out this late, prince?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes at being called 'prince' for the umpteenth time that night, crossing his arms as he slid to the forest floor, "It's Ichigo, not prince, and I couldn't sleep." Ichigo paused to shrug lightly, eyes drifting towards the lights dancing along the skyline, "I felt like I had something to do tonight, is all."

"Hm." Ichigo's eyes drifted to the two men as they approached slowly, taking seats at the base of a tree opposite his own.

"What's the village like?" The thought had been bugging him for years as Yoruichi and Kisuke could only give vague details considering they hadn't returned in the last hundred or so years. He was curious of the place that his father ruled over.

The redhead- Renji, he reminded himself- grinned at the question, leaning onto his crossed legs as he recounted his home reverently, "It's a great place where spirits from across the land live in peace and semi-harmony. We got spirits from the mountain, from the valley, and then the elders drop in at random so it's pretty diverse."

Ichigo closed his eyes as he tried to imagine a place full of such life and exuberance, smiling gently at the thought of meeting spirits from different parts of the valley. It was a nice thought, a really nice one. Ichigo refrained from asking to be taken to the village, not wanting news of his late night escapade to get back to his guardians any time soon.

"It's kinda weird, though, because the spirits that don't live in the area- river spirits and snow spirits to name a few- have to have special accommodations for when they stay longer than a few hours." Renji had leaned back on his hands, eyes trained on the sky as he thought on the rustling branches above, "Shuuhei's different, though. He doesn't really give a crap and never stays anywhere long enough to speak and eat before he's off again. He keeps tabs on you for the king, by the way."

Ichigo blinked at this new information, trying to remember if he'd ever met another spirit other than his guardians in the last hundred or so years. He frowned when he came up blank.

"I've never met him before. How can he watch me without being noticed?"

"You'd be surprised how easy it is, little prince." Ichigo moved quickly, leg kicking out and connecting with empty air as hazel eyes scanned the surrounding forest. It was only when a smirking face materialized where his leg had lashed out that he realized just what he was seeing.

"Wind spirit…." Ichigo's brows furrowed as the man's body fully materialized. He was clothed in a pair of loose pants like Renji and Uryu, his skin pale though Ichigo could make out miniscule marks that trailed in chaotic patterns along his arms and chest.

"Got it in one! Congratulations on sneaking out on the panther, by the way." Ichigo started suddenly as his mind fixed on what the man had said, eyes widening suddenly.

"You were with me that day!" Ichigo could vaguely remember a disembodied voice congratulating him on manifesting his spirit in his clearing years ago, mind reeling as he stared at the man that had been with him for so long. "You're a stalker!"

Shuuhei pouted at the prince, running a hand through his hair distractedly, "That's not nice, Ichigo. Stalking is such a harsh word."

Ichigo only stared at the man in disbelief, questioning just how sane the surrounding spirits were. But, considering who he lived with, they were pretty tame.

"Why didn't you just show me who you were?" All those years of watching him train and grow _had_ to be boring for the man, Shuuhei. Ichigo could only wonder on his patience.

Shuuhei shrugged before leaning back on the forest floor, conjuring a small tornado to clear the ground of sticks and other debris so he could sit comfortably, "No point. It wasn't in my job description and I'm in my spirit form more than my physical form so it didn't make any sense."

Ichigo had zoned out after Shuuhei had conjured his tornado, eyes wide in childlike wonder as the bundle of twigs and leaves shifted a spot farther to the right of where the raven sat. It was interesting seeing another's spirit form in action, especially one as volatile as Shuuhei's. The scholar in him, born from too much time spent around Kisuke while he did a multitude of experiments, was enthralled by the simple action, the ease with which Shuuhei controlled such a wild element.

"Thanks for telling us what the prince looks like by the way. Really appreciate it, Shuu." The wind spirit only shrugged with an easygoing smile, watching Ichigo's expression morph from awe to calculating to excitement.

"How can you control your element so easily? Isn't wind more chaotic than water, because Kisuke said the water spirits have a hard time controlling their element." Ichigo was an overflowing bundle of curiosity at that moment, eyes wide and mind reeling with ideas and thoughts of how Shuuhei could exhibit such precise control over something that was said to be free and without limits.

The raven chuckled airily, the space around him twisting as his emotions riled the wind in the vicinity, "You'd be surprised how little control I have over myself." Gray eyes connected with hazel, shining with a tired light, "It's not easy. It's taking more energy than I can describe to just sit here and talk without making the wind lash out into the trees."

Shuuhei lifted a hand to his face, fingers splayed wide as he called his spirit to the surface. The area around his fingers distorted, Ichigo nearly gasping as he watched the visible air twist and writhe where Shuuhei's fingers once were.

"It's dangerous and definitely a good reason to stay away from the spiritual populace." Shuuhei smiled as he returned his fingers to their tangible form, leaning on his crossed legs as he fixed Ichigo with a small smile, "But the good thing about wind is, it doesn't change. It's hard to control because that's its nature. I've learned to live with it because I've had to deal with it from day one."

"You on the other hand, your power can grow; it can get brighter, and stronger, and chaotic, and more dangerous than should be possible." Shuuhei's eyes glowed dimly, Ichigo focused solely on the wind spirit. "You're going to have it harder for your position in the world, your very nature will bring you more problems than you think possible. You've got people to help and that's great, but they can only get you so far before you gotta take control of yourself."

"I thought Uryu was the prophet, Shuuhei."

Ichigo blinked as the wind spirit chuckled, shaking his head good-naturedly before standing. "True. I gotta get back to make my report, you guys make sure he gets home safe."

"And Ichigo," the oranget blinked at the sudden increase in wind, shielding his face with his arms. When he dropped them, Shuuhei was gone, the air around where he once stood distorted slightly, " _Take care of yourself, kid_."

Ichigo felt more than saw the wind spirit disappear into the sky and further up the mountain, eyes trained on the gap in the branches above before a sigh from the tree spirit had him turning to the remaining duo.

"I believe you've been out long enough, prince." Ichigo scowled at the name, but nodded as he stood, dusting his pants of the dirt and sticks from the ground. He blinked as a hand was suddenly thrust a few inches from his face, eyes travelling up the appendage before lighting on Renji's grinning features.

"This'll be faster." Ichigo wanted to protest being carried by a relative stranger, but pushed his irritation down when he noticed the forest growing brighter. Taking the hand with a huff, Ichigo refrained from squeaking as he was suddenly pulled onto a strong back, arms unconsciously wrapping around Renji's shoulders. "Hold on tight."

The oranget closed his eyes as he felt the redhead move faster than he thought possible, the branches and shrubs of the forest no match for Renji's speed as they broke in his path. They reached the cabin sooner than Ichigo thought, Renji letting him down outside his designated window.

Turning to the silent redhead, Ichigo smiled gently, "Thank you, Renji."

The unknown spirit waved off his thanks with a grin, helping the prince clamber through the window before stepping back, "No problem, kid. Come see us when you get bored at night."

Ichigo nodded resolutely, watching as the redhead turned and raced back into the trees. He would definitely take Renji up on that offer in the future.

"Ichigo." The oranget froze at the sweet voice, turning slowly to see Yoruichi standing in the doorway, her eyes slitted and glowing, "Any reason you're returning so _late_?"

Ichigo laughed nervously, mentally preparing for the increase in training that would no doubt take place after breakfast.

Oh joy.

* * *

Whoot Whoot! Another chapter with the introduction of a few new spirits! Literally like one…. but whatever! We get insight and we get Ichigo talking to people outside of Yoruichi and Kisuke so I count this as a Win!


	7. I See People

**Let me first apologize for just disappearing...Writer's block has hit me like a bullet train and I've only really started writing again (not even that much honestly). But, yeah, back and with a new chapter of this. I have a few on the back burner for when I stop writing again, like I inevitably will, but I will be working on this more when I can! So, you know, onto your regularly scheduled Author's Note** :

Introduction of Grimmjow! Granted it's him as a baby and all that good chizz but yeah~ :D

Also for the issue of age! Skipping ahead about 550 years…. I want Ichigo to be a teenager in Spirit age so put him at like 900 or somewhere around there~ 900 spirit years=18 human years~ 3

* * *

Calloused feet beat relentlessly against the rough dirt of the forest as the woman darted between branches and over roots. The sinister hiss of the dark creatures only a few teasing inches from her back, the mad cackle of the shadow man echoing around the trees and striking fear into her very core. Another spasm of pain tore through her abdomen as she collapsed against a tree, the bark scratching red trails into her arms and hands as she pushed away and back onto her earlier path.

Her steps faltered as the pain in her gut became unbearable, tears leaking from vibrant, blue eyes as she fell to her knees with a cry of pain. She felt loose sticks and rocks embed into her palms and knees but ignored it as she turned wary eyes to the forest around her.

Even in the throes of labor, she was still the strongest woman in the village. Her eyes cutting sharp tracks into the surrounding trees regardless of the tears that blurred her vision. A slight shifting to her right had the woman rolling away from the snapping jaws of a dark creature, its teeth gouging holes into the earth and snapping a root to its very core. Her eyes were wide as the jaws morphed into a twisted grin and slithered towards her in winding patterns.

Suddenly a ground shaking roar rocked the earth, the woman grunting as it caused another spasm of pain to wrack her already battered body. The dark creature's hiss became vindictive as it dove for the woman recklessly, jaws snapping at empty air as an invisible force blocked its path.

The woman's eyes widened further as she felt the wind move to protect her, blue eyes glowing in awe as the creature writhed and leapt at the invisible shield. Another roar caused the wind's force to die down only slightly, the woman jumping as she felt something brush against her back. She whipped around to see the sleek purple fur of the forest protector, Pantera. She stalked with all the grace of a god, feline features regal even for her own kind.

Pantera continued to growl lowly towards the gathered mass of shadow creatures, golden eyes practically cutting a path through their sinewy bodies. It was only when the large feline jumped at the creatures, claws out and gleaming in the heavenly lights from above, that they retreated back into the trees, Pantera's roar following them.

The large feline growled something at the weakened shield of wind, turning to the prone woman and stalking towards her slowly. The woman's awe lasted a moment longer before another shock of pain ran through her body. She cried as she curled further into herself, arms loose around her bulging abdomen in worry.

"Are you alright?" The woman was unprepared for the decidedly human voice, looking up into the face of a dark skinned woman with glowing golden eyes- she had heard stories of spirits being able to gain human forms but had never known it to be true. She felt her breath leave her as the woman reached out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear.

"My-my baby." Pantera's eyes darted to her stomach and back to her face in a split second, pupils seeming to dilate as the air started to tingle with the spirit's power. "I-I need….please."

The soon-to-be mother was in tears again, gripping one of the spirit's hands tightly to hopefully portray her fear of the situation. The dark skinned woman nodded resolutely before closing her eyes, a slight tremor running through the earth as her skinned seemed to glow. It took only a moment for her eyes to snap open again, a smile on her lips as she wrapped her arms around the distressed human and raced into the trees.

The woman felt the air part as they moved through the forest, her arms wrapped protectively around her abdomen as she clenched her eyes against the onslaught of pressure from moving so quickly. They stopped suddenly, the woman's stomach churning uncomfortably as she was placed on shaky legs.

"Who is this?" Looking towards the new voice, the woman found a tall man with shaggy blond hair watching them with open curiosity. She barely had time to question his strange clothes before another contraction wracked her body. The woman cried out as her legs gave out, clenching her teeth and trying to ride out the waves of pain as gentle hands rubbed at her back. "Move her inside. Take her by the fire."

The woman gasped as she suddenly felt the soft caress of fur instead of the cool touch of grass, blue eyes widening as they took in the roaring fire to her left and the expanse of room to her right. The dark skinned spirit was blocking the fire from her eyes, purple hair curtaining her face as she looked down over the soon-to-be mother and her swollen stomach.

Another contraction caused the woman to cry out, her eyes squeezing shut as she tightened her grip in the bear-skin rug. The panicked stomping of two sets of feet stopped at her side, the woman just able to open her eyes and see the blond from before with an orange haired teenager at his side. She didn't give the extra person another thought as another contraction tore through her body, her back arching as she tried to ride out the new wave of pain.

"What's wrong with her?"

"No time for that now. Yoruichi, heat some water on the fire. Ichigo get that extra blanket from the hall closet." The woman was thankful for being in the attendance of a healer, relinquishing control over her body to the skillful man as he gave her some pain relieving concoction that tasted vaguely of strawberries. "Your name, Miss? I find talking helps people get through tough situations."

The woman found herself smiling at the simple gesture, nodding as she ran a hand lovingly over her extended stomach, "Akira."

Akira jolted as her head was lifted and placed in someone's lap, glancing up to see the orange haired teen from before with a calming smile on his lips. She found herself relaxing at the boy's gentle aura, barely noticing as Pantera returned to the blond's side with a bowl of warm water.

"This will cause a bit of discomfort." Akira barely registered the words before she felt the pressure, her face contorting in pain as she felt her baby being eased out of her. Her breaths came in quick pants, hands unconsciously clenching in the fabric of the orange haired teen's pants.

A piercing cry broke through her pained haze, blue eyes squinting open to look at the squirming bundle held in the arms of the dark skinned spirit. Akira smiled at the tuft of blue hair on the baby's head, reaching weakly for him with her right hand.

"M-my….my baby." Pantera smiled at her before scooting close enough for her to cradle the babe in the crook of her right arm. She couldn't stop herself from cooing at the scrunched up face of her child, rubbing her nose against her baby's own with a breathless laugh. "My little boy. My little Grimmjow."

"...What just happened?" Akira looked up into the confused expression of the teen, her own brow furrowing at his blank look.

"You must not be used to this. Most fighters are not." Akira, feeling a bit of her energy return, raised her left hand to run lovingly down Grimmjow's pouting cheek. "The birth of a child is a trying task. Thank Gaia, I'm still alive."

Akira found one of the teen's hands and gripped it gently, smiling at his befuddlement in amusement, "Would you like to hold him?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. We have yet to show Ichigo-kun the proper way to care for one smaller than himself." Akira sent the blond a questioning look before shrugging.

"It's good for all young men to understand the basis of caring for babes. This is a good learning experience." Fighting to sit up fully, Akira grunted as pain from her recent birth made itself known. She slumped back to the floor with a sigh, eyes connecting with Pantera's pleadingly. The woman shuffled closer before taking the child and easing him into Ichigo's arms.

"Support his head and neck, just cup it like that and, good!" The boy looked shocked at the whole situation, his body tense as Grimmjow squirmed restlessly in his hold. Pantera looked amused with the whole situation, her eyes glowing as she watched the teen with wary eyes.

"No need to be so tense. He can feel your nervousness, just relax and he will too." Akira placed a gentle hand on the teen's own, his breath leaving his lungs in a _whoosh_ as he visibly slumped. The new mother smiled as her baby stopped squirming for the moment. "There you go."

"If you don't mind my asking, Akira-san?" The woman hummed in question, turning to the blond healer with a small smile, "Why were you in the forest so late? And in your condition, no less."

Akira's smile disappeared as her eyes gained a haunted look, "The dark creatures invaded the village with the shadow man. I was with the head healer when they attacked our tent and I was forced to run. They followed me even as I left the village, but I have nothing they would want." Akira's face scrunched up in anger and confusion, thoughts racing as she tried to find a reason for the strange occurrence with the dangerous creatures and their master.

" _Aizen_." Akira looked towards Pantera in question, the purple haired spirit only growling lowly as she began to converse under her breath with the blond healer.

"You were being chased by a bad man that's been causing a lot of problems for us." Akira looked up into Ichigo's relaxed features, almost surprised to see the boy's eyes glued to her child in reverence. "Why is he so small?"

Akira chuckled at Ichigo's question, waving off the teen's irritated expression with a hand, "He's only a baby. You started off that small when you were born."

"Born? Yoruichi said I came from the stars."

Akira suddenly noticed the lull in conversation from the healer and spirit, looking towards the two to see both blushing as they shared a secretive look. The blond sighed in resignation after Pantera- Yoruichi?- punched him in the bicep.

"Ichigo….when two spirits love each other very much-"

"Oh my Gaia, you never gave him the sex talk…." The two adults sputtered as Akira burst into raucous laughter, the woman wincing every few seconds as she pushed her battered body more than she should. It was only when Grimmjow made his presence known, his short nap ending upon the loud laughter and his own hunger, that everyone was distracted from the previous conversation.

That didn't stop Ichigo from making a mental note to get the rest of the story later.

* * *

Akira yawned as her head lifted from her chest, the woman becoming conscious of the squirming bundle resting in her arms. Humming in confusion, Akira looked down at the frowning baby in her lap.

She had a moment of shocked confusion before the previous night's events caught up with her, eyes suddenly roving the surrounding forest in question. The last thing she remembered was talking to the orange haired teen before falling asleep by a roaring fire, Grimmjow tucked safely into her side. She remembered nothing about the forest.

"Akira! There you are! The Elder was so worried when you didn't return last night." Akira looked up into the eyes of another woman from the village, shock radiating through her form as she was pulled into a suffocating hug.

"W-what?" Akira knew last night couldn't have been her imagination, she would've died along with Grimmjow had Pantera not taken her to the blond healer. It was only the sight of the blanket wrapped around her healthy child and the bandages tied around her hands and feet that solidified her belief of the previous night's events.

"We've been looking for you all morning and when you didn't show up, everyone assumed the worst." The woman helped Akira to her feet, gently leading her in the direction of the village while also cooing over the fussing baby in her arms, "Oh, Gaia! Is that him? He's beautiful!"

Akira hummed distractedly, wondering just why she had woken up away from Pantera's residence, granted, close to her village. She smiled as she thought of the strange group living in the strange house in the woods, wondering if she would ever get the chance to thank the spirit and her family for their service that night.

Her attention was quickly diverted as she stepped into the village, suddenly being swarmed by the villagers with excited and shocked questions and cries.

* * *

"So babies come from stomachs?" Yoruichi groaned as she pressed her head against the kitchen table. She and Kisuke had hoped to avoid the decidedly complex conversation of spiritual birth for the next thousand years or so, but the sudden appearance of the pregnant human ended that idea.

"For humans, at least. They actually grow in the womb, but stomach is an easier way of thinking of it." Kisuke fanned himself gently as he sipped his tea, humming to himself as he tried to think of how to start his next statement. "For spirits….it's quite complicated."

"Two spirits are needed, usually of the same form though there have been cases where different nature spirits have come together to make offspring that are a combination of the two. Complex creatures, indeed!" Kisuke squeaked as Yoruichi knocked her fist into the back of his head, rubbing at the spot with his free hand before returning to the topic at hand. "And most spirits, like your parents, are of the same form and make a child of the same variety, though usually stronger in nature because of the combination of alike elements."

Ichigo nodded slowly, pushing his plate aside as he gave his full attention to his blond guardian, "The creation of new spirits is a rather confusing science as it takes both parents combining aspects of their elements into a 'ball', I should say, and the stars breathing life into them. Speaking of stars, their form of conception is much more….interesting, at best."

"How so?" Ichigo propped his head in his upturned palm as he thought on this new information, trying to imagine himself coming from a ball of condensed light. The idea was made even more complicated when he imagined Shuuhei as a chaotic ball of wind.

"Stars come from deep within the sky, and don't require the combination of two spirits. They don't require any spirits at all, actually." Kisuke set his fan on the table before interlocking his fingers under his nose, "There are a multitude of stars in the sky, all of which, when combined in certain patterns, create spirits of their own. Take Gemini, for example, the twins are the embodiment of their stars in a physical form, though their place is in the sky."

"But where do the stars actually come from?" Ichigo's brows were furrowed as he tried to imagine the multitude of stars in the sky required to make a single spirit, or two in regards to the Gemini.

Kisuke hummed in approval as he loosened one hand from before his face, raising his pointer finger and swirling it in a circle before him, "The stars themselves come from many places above us that are unchartable, to put it simply. Some show up at random without any rhyme or reason and the next thing you know we have a new constellation being inducted into the sky and a new spirit in the village."

"Sounds….complicated."

"Exactly!"

Ichigo shook his head at his guardian's exuberance before pushing away from the table, "That's enough info for one night. See you guys in the morning."

"Night, Ichi-berry!"

"Night, Prince-kun~"

Ichigo laughed as he waved to his guardians and headed to his room. He shut the door before leaning against it with a sigh, sparing a glance at the glowing lights outside his window tiredly.

"This has been the weirdest day ever."

* * *

Have no idea where else to go with this so I'm just gonna end it here~ 3 I think it's straight~ . relatively~~


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